Free passes in playoffs

Editorially verified for the Aug 23, 2026

55 Down

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A playoff bracket with one team advancing through a first-round bye

Clue explained

In a playoff bracket, byes are free passes that let a team advance without playing in a particular round. The plural form matches “passes.”

Clue type:
Definition

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Total hotties
  2. 6New mom in fawning season
  3. 9Bit of eye cream
  4. 12Units of sourdough
  5. 14"Know ___ good spots?"
  6. 15"A long, long time ___ . . ."
  7. 16Worldly and refined
  8. 17Nokcha or longjing
  9. 19Home for piglets
  10. 20Typical commuter car
  11. 22Maid of honor's delivery
  12. 23Reckless speed
  13. 25Briny items in a relish tray
  14. 27Kept under wraps
  15. 28Satisfies fully
  16. 29B-school degree
  17. 32Ink stain
  18. 34The Grinch's dog
  19. 35One might have a bike lane
  20. 37State with the Amana Colonies
  21. 38Thus far
  22. 40"Overcompensating" actor DiMarco
  23. 41Large concert venues
  24. 43Some undergrad degrees
  25. 44Minor criticisms
  26. 45Address to a superior officer
  27. 46Laughs loudly
  28. 48___ Wong ("Resident Evil" spy)
  29. 49Treat with a cherry on top
  30. 50Purchase prices
  31. 53Backpack full of supplies, maybe
  32. 56Drop in on
  33. 58Vietnamese for "festival"
  34. 59"Fine! I give up!"
  35. 61Gymnastics legend Biles
  36. 63"Why ___ we here?"
  37. 64"Viva ___ Vegas"
  38. 65Like a voice after a long speech
  39. 66Profs' colleagues
  40. 67Tool swung at a tree trunk
  41. 68Gave a moniker to

Down

  1. 1React shyly to praise, perhaps
  2. 2Largest artery in the body
  3. 3Party for an expecting parent
  4. 4"Training Day" actress Mendes
  5. 5Picked up on
  6. 6"Well, shoot!"
  7. 7Number of lenses in a monocle
  8. 8Checkup for vision
  9. 9Numbers to be crunched
  10. 10Seemingly forever
  11. 11Vessel for gravy
  12. 13"Didn't I tell you?"
  13. 17Meme demonstrating absurdity posing as genius
  14. 18Dissenting votes
  15. 21Savory rice-and-lentil dishes
  16. 24Saturn's largest moon
  17. 26Reflective gear for road workers
  18. 29Spike in news coverage
  19. 30Totally exhausted
  20. 31Devices with cash cassettes
  21. 32Lack of objectivity
  22. 33"Shark Tank" investor Greiner
  23. 34Brick-laying pro
  24. 36Total stranger
  25. 39Makes less hard
  26. 42Peppery salad green
  27. 47Give counsel to
  28. 48Film genre with stunt doubles
  29. 49___ Paulo, Brazil
  30. 51On edge
  31. 52Trusty horse
  32. 53Animal prone to butting
  33. 54Seed-packed pod veggie
  34. 55Free passes in playoffs
  35. 57"Sorta"
  36. 60Honeycomb material
  37. 62Barnyard bleat

The answer to “Free passes in playoffs” in the USA Today crossword is BYES — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 23, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 55-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Free passes in playoffs” answer

BYES (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is BYES.

What does BYES mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of BYES is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • the transfer of a competitor directly to the next round of a competition in the absence of an assigned opponent
  • a run scored from a ball that passes the batter without being hit (recorded as an extra, not credited to the individual batter)
  • one or more holes remaining unplayed after a match has been decided

When else has “Free passes in playoffs” appeared?

USA Today reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 23, 2026 (most recent) → BYES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Free passes in playoffs”?

The answer is BYES, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Free passes in playoffs”?

4 letters: BYES.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on August 23, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 55-Down.

Can “Free passes in playoffs” have a different answer?

Yes — USA Today sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's USA Today answers?

The full grid for August 23, 2026 is on the USA Today answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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